Spoiler warning for season 1 of House of the Dragon
In season 2 of House of the Dragon, grief is the catalyst that ultimately drives the actions of many of the characters of Westeros. As the Targaryen civil war begins and the battle for the iron throne leads to an event aptly titled the “Dance of the Dragons”, (events derived from George RR Martin’s historical textbook Fire and Blood) we learn that many of our characters elect to grieve in different ways.
In an interview with Matt Smith during the cast press tour for the series, he discussed the grief that Prince Daemon Targaryen will deal with this season. Smith describes Daemon’s journey as a “vortex or an emotional storm” that he will have to come to terms with. And that Daemon is “in for a tough ride.” And while Lucerys Velaryon’s tragic death at the hands of Aemond has shook Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen to her core, the passing of his brother King Viserys Targaryen is still eating him up inside. How each of these events become their own catalyst for Targaryen’s respectively remains to be seen.
On a lighter note, Matt also talks about the restrictions wearing his costume has on him during filming and that it renders him immobile. Daemon, notably known for wearing accentuated shoulder plates and armor, looks good on screen but doesn’t exactly feel comfortable while filming his scenes. And while we remember many of his looks from season one including accessories like his dragon-inspired headpiece, be prepared to see a new look in season 2. All of the cast members have new costumes this season by the way. Matt jokingly poked fun at his co-star Fabien Frankel who plays Ser Criston Cole, “One of my great pleasures of this job is seeing Fabian suffer in the armor”, Smith says.
The premiere of House of the Dragon season 2 begins June 16th on HBO and will be available for streaming on MAX.
